Canada’s BC4 Boccia Pair Compete in Last Competition Before the Paralympics
Ottawa, ON (July 8, 2024) – Alison Levine (Montréal, QC) and Iulian Ciobanu (Montréal, QC) will be competing in their respective individual play and Pairs competition together at the 2024 Povoa World Boccia Cup starting on Wednesday. It is their final competition before the Paris Paralympics starting this August where they will also be competing in these same three events.
“Given the upcoming Paralympics, the competition in Povoa is very important for my preparation ahead of Paris 2024. I will be competing against top five athletes in individuals and pairs. One last mental and physical push before the Paralympics. A challenge that I’m excited to take on,” said Ciobanu.
“This is going to be about the sixth time I’ve competed in Povoa as part of the international circuit. There’s going to be quite a lot of staff with only Iulian and I going as athletes, which will be different but cool. Almost all the teams that have qualified for Paris will be there so it’s going to be a good run through for what’s to come at the Games,” said Levine.
A total of four staff along with two performance partners will be attending this event including the National Team High-Performance Director, Head Coach, Physiotherapist and Mental Performance Consultant.
“The level of play promises to be very high, as is always the case for this kind of pre-Games competition,” says César Nicolai, Head Coach, Boccia Canada. “This competition will enable us to fine-tune the final details to be ready for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.”
Levine is ranked second and Ciobanu is ranked eighth in the world in the individual women and men’s events respectively, while they are third in BC4 pairs going into this event. They had already qualified for the Paris Paralympics last year with a gold at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
The boccia competition begins at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday, August 29, 2024.
Follow the Boccia Canada Facebook Page here for links to results, schedule, and webcast.
About Boccia Canada
Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. We lead, develop and grow boccia from grassroots to producing World Champions, and we collaborate with partners to increase participation of Canadians with physical disabilities in sport.
About boccia
Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and related disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of six sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 BC4, BC5, and Open.
Media Contact
Holly Janna
Communications Lead and National Team Coordinator, Boccia Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 613-748-1430 x3 | Cell: 514-944-5193